August didn’t disappoint with all of it’s typical hot, humid days around here. We even had a couple of thunderstorms roll through. The grass is green, and the garden is still blooming with the last flowers of summer phlox, false sunflowers, day lillies and wildflowers. I am seeing signs of autumn already, though, there are a few orange leaves starting on the early maples and my sedum is starting to make flower heads. The daylight hours feel a little shorter and the calendar says school starts here in about 3 weeks. I am going to work on squeezing a few things into what’s left of my summer but mostly it is a season of rest. It is going to be 90 degrees today. I am not going to overdo any one thing.

I have started the second half of the granny square quilt made with my scraps and I purchased Lori Holt’s Great Granny squared book for the pattern. I am doing the granny square trifecta, as featured in my YouTube video and following the alongs with Fat Quarter Shop, I have crocheted all the grannies from pearle cotton that I am going to make for a doll blanket. I have finished the bookmark cross stitch granny square project. I am feeling really good about where I am at in the Granny Alongs overall. I am just going to keep making the quilt until the top is done. Will it be completed “on time”, nope but that is perfectly ok. I will get it done!

As I get stronger, I am long arming. I have a cute jewel box quilt on the frame now that I am custom quilting. I do a little at a time since it is a tiring process to stand, constantly make decisions and long arm. It is the hardest thing to do right now post covid and I decided I do what I can, when I can just like in life. That’s all we can do!

I have chosen to stay home from a Highland game this weekend due to the high heat and my overall deconditioning. I am enjoying 2 days completely to myself. I decided to embrace my much-loved introvert time to work on things in a very slow, methodical way. A little sewing, a little exercise, a little cleaning, a little resting and most of all a little time to just think about what I want to do this fall as the seasons change. I have been researching quilt coats. I am talking a deeeeep dive into this subject, as I always do. I wouldn’t be cutting up a quilt to make one. I have a stash of orphan blocks and this may be a good project for them. I like Laundry basket quilt’s idea of using a sweatshirt as your base. It would be light weight and the pattern is built in. I have more YouTube videos to watch before I start making one. I also have a bag of patterns and I want to see if there is a jacket or coat that would be suitable, in case there isn’t a sweatshirt lying around for the project.

Disclaimer: I don’t believe in cutting up a vintage quilt to do a Jacket or Coat. I think most quilters have enough scraps and blocks laying around that you could make this easily without sacrificing a vintage or antique quilt for a wearable piece. That said I have made some pretty funky quilts that I would be ok with cutting but I have never been able to do that myself.

The coffee is gone, the sun has risen, and I just heard the old church bell chime 9 am. It is time to get dressed and start the day.

Have a great day, stay cool and be well!

Vicki